Time to Read
by AnonymousDuo
Summary: Harry, Hermione, the Weasleys, Marauders, Lily and the 3rd generation get transported to the same place by strange means... What happens when they find out who each other are? And what happens when they are given books to read?
1. Chapter 1

'Summer,' Harry thought, 'but at least it's my last here with the Dursleys...'

Harry had been sitting in his room all summer, thinking. He thought of his 6th and last year at Hogwarts, Ginny, his upcoming year hunting Horcruxes, Ginny, how he was going to leave Privet Drive and Ginny. He thought of Ginny a lot. He missed her, but he had to break up with her, for her own safety. Voldemort was just killing all the people he loved and those who loved him. _Mum, Dad, Sirius, Dumbledore... who else will die for me?_ That question had loomed in his mind for months, and that is why he had to break up with Ginny. That is why he had to try to convince Hermione and Ron not to come with him, but they would not listen to him.

Suddenly, Harry was surrounded by a glowing light, which grew bigger and bigger until it completely engulfed him.

When Harry could see again, he was in a strange room that looked somewhat familiar. It looked like the Gryffindor Common room, but it was not. It had enough plush, overstuffed couches and arm chairs and even a few love seats for about 30 people!

Harry wasn't the only one there. He saw the baffled faces of Hermione, Ron and all the Weasleys, and he meant ALL the Weasleys. There was Ron, Ginny, Fred, George, Bill, Charlie, Mr and Mrs Weasley and even Percy! They all looked really confused and were looking around at each other and the surroundings.

Before anyone could say anything, there was another growth of light at the end of the room.

* * *

><p>James, Sirius and Remus were lounging under a tree by the lake. The Giant Squid was flopping about on the surface. James had his snitch and was showing off, trying to impress Lily Evans. Lily had a book and was leaning against the tree, trying to read and ignore James. He'd been constantly asking her out since their second year. She was about to tell them to go away, as they were laughing really loudly, when a great light started to form. It grew and grew until it completely surrounded the four of them.<p>

Lily turned to James and said: "JAMES! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?"

James cowered in fear behind Sirius. Sirius side stepped out of the way giving James a look that clearly said '_Your crush, and your fight. Leave me out of this.'_

James glared at Sirius, but stood his ground. "I didn't do anything, Evans! Why would you automatically think it was me?"

Then they looked around for the first time. They saw a room that looked a lot like the Gryffindor Common room, but there were 11 people in the room whom they had never seen before.

"What-?" Remus began, but there was a swirl of dust in the corner.

* * *

><p>James Sirius Potter was in the living room of the Burrow. All his cousins were sitting around him. James had found a Time-Turner on his father's desk, and was playing around with it. Teddy spotted him and said, "James, what the bloody hell are you doing?"<p>

"I found this on Dad's desk."

"JAMES! You can't just go around taking stuff from your dad's desk! Do you know how dangerous that is?"

James just shrugged it off. Teddy was glaring at him and walked up to him.

"James, give it to me. I don't want anything to go wrong. Your parents and aunts and uncles will never let me babysit again."

"Awww, c'mon Ted, it's not that bad. It's just a fancy looking necklace, that's all."

Teddy started to get angry. His face took on a slight wolfish look and he shook a little. "James, give it to me." Everyone was now looking at them. Teddy reached for the Time-Turner just as James pulled it back. It fell to the ground and smashed into pieces.

"James, what have you done!" screamed Teddy.

The sand swirled around the entire room. All the children were surrounded by the sand and suddenly felt as though they were being pulled backwards. They fell for what felt like forever. When they landed, they looked at their surroundings. They saw a room that looked an awful lot like the Gryffindor Common room. There were 15 people standing there, looking as confused as they all felt. Four of them were standing in a group to one side and the other 11 were in another group.

From the group of 11, the children recognised them all as Weasleys and Potters, as they were all their parents, aunts, uncles and grandparents.

From the group of four, they saw that one of them looked uncannily like James and another looked remarkably like Lily**. **They could recognise them from pictures that hung throughout their houses. They were James and Lily, Sirius and Remus. All of them had died, in the War. They were all gobsmacked to see them, as they thought they would never see them in their lifetime.

"Who are you all?" asked Sirius, looking confused.

"Ummm..." said Hermione, not sure how much they could say. She recognised the group of four, but not the group of 13.

Just then, a pile of books and a letter appeared. Teddy went and picked up the letter and reads:

**Hello everyone.**

**You have been brought together, so that you can read these books. They will be new to some of you, and explanation to others and an insight into the thought of someone close to all of you. The last book is brand new information to all of you, however it is compulsory to read ALL of them. The reason behind this is, so that you will be able to learn from your mistakes and the mistakes of others, and possibly can change the future if you wish so. Hopefully, even some lives can be saved through reading these books.**

**You are kindly requested to introduce yourselves to everyone, even if some of them already know you, whether you know them, or not. You may reveal all. It may shock some of you, but what is said must be the truth and is entirely true. Please try to respect each other and others, even those who are not present in this room.**

**Meals will be brought up by the House elves. Just call on them when you are ready. You can organize sleeping quarters and bathrooms in the Room. Just ask it nicely. I hope you enjoy the books and you will use your new knowledge well.**

Once Teddy finished reading the letter, everyone just looked at each other.

"Ok..."said Harry, looking at the others in the room. "Who wants to go first?"

"Wait," said Hermione. "Shouldn't we do it from who comes from the earliest year, as it is quite obvious, that we do not come from the same years. We are from the year 1997. What about you guys?"

Remus looked at the others before saying, "We are from 1976"

Teddy said, "We are from 2020."

"Ok, that settles it. You lot are going first," said Hermione. "Then us, and then you guys," she says looking at the larger group.

"Ok," said Remus, "my name is Remus Lupin, and am 16 years old, and in my 6th year of Hogwarts."

"I'm Sirius Black, I'm also 16 and in my 6th year of Hogwarts, too." said Sirius, with a wide smile on his face.

"I'm James Potter, I'm 16 and in my 6th year. I'm mega cool and this one is gonna say yes soon." Said James, winking at Lily.

Lily rolled her eyes and said, "Hello, my mane is Lily Evans I'm in my 6th year and I'm 16 years old as well."

"Alrighty," said Hermione. "I'll start. My name is Hermione Granger, I am a muggleborn, I am 16 years old and I just finished my 6th year at Hogwarts."

"My name is Molly Weasley, and this is my husband Arthur, and all of these are my children," said Mrs. Weasley, pointing at Mr. Weasley and the children respectively.

"My name is Bill, I am the eldest Weasley child, I am 27, I work for Gringotts and I am getting married in a few days," said Bill with a smile.

"Charlie's my name, I'm the second eldest, I am 25, and I work training dragons."

"My name is Percy, I am 21, the third oldest, and I work for the Ministry."

"I'm Fred-"

"And I'm George-"

"We are twins -"

"Both 19-"

"And we run a joke shop!" finished the twins together.

"My names Ron, I am 17, just finished my 6th year, and I'm Harry's best mate."

"Hello, I'm Ginny, I'm 15, just finished my 5th year, I am the youngest Weasley and I am the first girl in 7 generations."

"Ok. My name is Harry Potter, I am 16, nearly 17, I just finished my 6th year, and-" Harry paused, unsure, and glanced at Lily and James and then Hermione and Ron. The latter two gave reassuring nods and Harry continued. "And I am the son of Lily and James," he finished shyly.

"What?" Exclaimed Lily. She looked slightly shocked, and a bit confused, but Remus and Harry could see a glimpse of happiness in her eyes.

"Alright, Paddy, I got Evans!" called James, high fiving Sirius. Remus looked on in amusement, while reassuringly patting Lily on the arm.

"Ok," said Hermione. "That only leaves you guys," she said, looking at the big group of 13.

"Alright. I'm James Sirius Potter. I am 15 years old, and in my 5th year of Hogwarts. I am a chaser in the Gryffindor Quidditch Team"

"My name is Albus Severus Potter. I am 14 years old, in my 4th year at Hogwarts and I chose to be in Gryffindor. I play seeker and I am James Sirius' brother."

"Hello!" said Lily Luna, with a bright smile. "My name is Lily Luna Potter, I am 12 and in my 2nd year of Hogwarts. I am in Gryffindor. I am James Sirius' and Albus' sister. Oh, and our parents are Harry and Ginny!"

Harry and Ginny looked at each other with bright smiles on their faces. Ron was shocked for a few seconds, before he looked at Harry and screamed, "MY SISTER, HARRY! YOU KNOCKED UP MY SISTER THREE TIMES!"

Harry, shocked by the outburst, stumbled backwards a few steps. "Woah, Ron! Calm down!"

Ron took a few deep breaths and calmed down, but his hands were still shaking a bit.

"We'll go next," said Rose, stepping forward with Hugo. "My name is Rose Weasley, I am 14, and in my 4th year of Hogwarts. And I am in Gryffindor."

"I'm Hugo, I am 12, in my 2nd year, and in Gryffindor. I am Rose's brother. I play keeper, just like my dad. By the way, our parents are Ron and Hermione."

Ron and Hermione looked utterly shocked. They both blushed deeply, Ron's ears turning red as well, as the twins screamed, "Awwwww! Ickle Ronniekins is all grown up and married!" They pinched his cheek, but Ron just smacked their hands away.

Molly II and Lucy stepped forward, and Molly II spoke first. "My name is Molly Weasley the 2nd, I am 14 and in my 4th year of Hogwarts, in Gryffindor."

"I'm Lucy Weasley, I'm 13, in my 3rd year of Hogwarts, in Gryffindor, and Molly's sister. Our parents are Percy and Audrey."

Percy's ears turned pink and he looked to the ground. He knew Audrey. She worked in the Ministry, too, and he was planning on asking her out. Mrs. Weasley looked like she wanted to go over and hug her son, but still was a bit wary of going over to him, as he was still not really speaking with them.

"All righty!" said Fred II as he and Roxanne stepped forward. "My name is Fred Weasley the 2nd, I am 15, in my 5th year and I play beater for Gryffindor!"

"I'm Roxanne, Fred's twin, so I am also 15 and in my 5th year. I play chaser for Gryfinndor. Our parents are George and Angelina."

George and Fred looked at each other. Suddenly Fred shouted, "You stole my girlfriend!"

"Wait – no – Fred – I don't know! I don't know what's going on!"

"It's ok dad," said Roxanne. "You will understand soon enough, I hope. It will probably be in the one of the books here."

"Hmmmm... ok. Carry on," said George, looking worriedly at his twin.

Then, Victoire, Dominique and Louis stepped forward. Only one of them, the middle one, looked like a Weasley. Victoire started to speak. "Hello, my name is Victoire Weasley. I am 21 years old. When I was at Hogwarts, I was in Gryffindor. I was Head Girl and now I work part time at Gringotts."

"Hey, my name is Dominique Weasley, I am 15 years old, in my 5th year, obviously. I am in Gryffindor and I play beater."

"I am Louis Weasley, I'm 13 years old, in my 3rd year and in Gryffindor. I am Victoire and Dominique's brother. Our parents are Bill and Fleur," said Louis. All three of them had smiles on their faces.

Bill looked really happy. He and Fleur were getting married soon, and the thought that they would have these three beautiful children with her, filled him with happiness.

"I'm last," said Teddy. He looked around him, glancing quickly at Remus. He was not sure how his dad would take the news. "My name is Teddy Remus Lupin," he started. Remus' eyes flashed up to him, and stayed, transfixed on his face, shock clearly displayed. Teddy took a deep breath. "I am 22. I am currently working with my god-uncle George in his joke shop. Harry is my god-father. My dad is," he took another deep breath, "Remus," he said, looking at him. Remus looked in shock.

"M-m-m-me?" asked Remus, shocked.

"Woohoo! Go Moony!" shouted James and Sirius together.

"Who's the lucky girl, then, ey?" asked Sirius, wagging his eyebrows.

Teddy hesitated before answering. He was not sure how Sirius would take it. "Nymphadora Tonks... Well, technically, Nymphadora Lupin," He explained.

Sirius and Remus looked utterly shocked. "My baby cousin, Nymphadora?" asked Sirius

"Yes," answered Teddy, slightly hesitantly.

"But- but- but- but she's 13 years younger than me... And I- I- I promised myself that I would not have children. I would not inflict my-" he stopped short and looked around.

"It's ok, dad," said Teddy. "We know that you are a werewolf-" Remus looked shocked. " but we also know that you are a great man. We don't care, just like mum didn't. And it's ok, dad, I am not a full werewolf. I do not transform during the full moon. I just become slightly hyper," said Teddy, with a wink in the direction of Remus.

"And you are perfect, just the way you are," said Victoire, coming up to Teddy and pecking him on the lips. Teddy grinned down at her and put an arm around her.

"Oh, get a room!" shout Fred II and James Sirius.

Remus shot them a quizzical look.

"We are engaged, dad," said Teddy with a smile on his face.

"Go mini-Moony!" exclaimed James and Sirius together.

Teddy blushed and his hair changed colour so that it had a slight red tinge. Victoire giggled and fiddled with his hair.

"You're a Metamorphmagus?" asked Remus, astounded.

"Yeah. I inherited it from mum," replied Teddy.

"Alright," said Hermione. "It is getting quite late, and it has been a long day. I think we should maybe have some dinner and maybe go to bed soon. You can, of course, stay up a little after dinner to get to know each other."

"Oh, I think that's a brilliant idea, Hermione," said Mrs. Weasley. "I'll call a House elf and ask if they can bring up some dinner. Harry, you know how to use the room, so maybe you could organize some bedrooms and bathrooms. The rest of you can sit around and relax. Get to know each other. Dinner will be soon. And then tomorrow we will start the reading."

"Ok, sounds like a plan, batman," said Lily. Lily, Hermione, Harry and Teddy chuckled at the phrase. Everyone else looked on confused. "It's a Muggle thing," explained Lily.

They all sat in the sofas, and relaxed. The groups mingled and got to know each other. They ate a great meal brought up by the House elves and talked. Once they were done, they all chose a bedroom and said Good Night. It had been a long day and they were all tired.


	2. Chapter 2

Most of them woke up at about 8 am, but Sirius, Ron, Fred and George, and James Sirius wouldn't get up. Lily, Hermione, Ginny, Mrs. Weasley and Lily Luna spent half an hour trying to wake them up and, finally, they sleepily out of their rooms. Ron, Fred and George, and James Sirius were all dressed, just pulling on their t-shirts. Sirius, however, had not bothered getting dressed and was still in his boxers.

"Why do we have to get up so early?" Sirius asked, sleepily. All the girls just gawked at him standing there.

"We need to have breakfast so that we can start reading," replies Lily, the only one who had already seen Sirius in this state, and was not affected by his six-pack. "Now could you go get dress, we would much rather not see you in your boxers."

Sirius stood there for a few seconds, before turning around and going back into his room to get changed.

"Wow," muttered all the girls, before they went off to sit down. Mrs. Weasley called the house elves and ordered breakfast.

Harry walked up to his son and said, "Albus? Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure," replied Albus, not sure what to expect. They walk over to the corner and Harry started speaking.

"I have been thinking about this since you told us your name. Why did I call you Albus Severus?"

"I - I – I don't know how much I can tell you. I think it will come apparent when we read all the books, but you name me Albus Severus for a reason, but I can't tell you why. Sorry," replied Albus.

"It's alright. I understand, I wasn't expecting that you would be able to tell me just yet, I just hoped, maybe, you could," said Harry, slightly upset by not being allowed to know. "Let's go back and join the rest."

"Wait, I have a question," said Albus. After Harry gave him an encouraging nod, he continued. "What should I call you? Harry or – or dad?"

Harry chuckled. "You can call me anything you like, Albus."

"Alright, dad," replied Albus with a cheeky smile. They both laughed as they walked back and joined the others.

Sirius rejoined them and they all had breakfast, which had been brought up by the house elves. When they were all full, they got comfortable on the sofas and chairs. Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione sat on one sofa, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley shared a love seat, Fred, George, Charlie and Bill shared another sofa, Percy sat in an armchair, James managed to get Lily to share a love seat with him, Sirius, Remus, Teddy and Victoire shared a sofa, James Sirius, Fred II, Roxanne and Domnique were on a sofa, Albus, Rose, Lily Luna and Hugo sat on a sofa, and Louis, Molly and Lucy shared the last sofa. Once they were all settled, they began.

"I'll read first," said Harry. "**The Boy Who Lived**."

**Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say**

**that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.**

"Pfft, said Fred and George.

**They were the lastpeople you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious,**

**because they just didn't hold with such nonsense.**

"What's wrong with being strange?" asked James Sirius. "I think it's way better than being normal, thank you very much."

"Haha James," said Fred II, laughing. "You only think that because of Emma. That's her opinion, too"

"Who's Emma?" asked Sirius, wagging his eyebrows.

"The girl James has liked since like first year," replied Domnique, winking at James, who was blushing.

"Oh, shut up you lot. It's not true," said James.

"Tell us about her later, guys," stage whispered Sirius, winking.

**Mr. Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills.**

"Drills?" asked Mr. Weasley, looking confused and excited by the new muggle tool.

"Mr. Weasley, I will explain any muggle item we come across in these books to you when we have breaks, alright," said Hermione. Mr. Weasley nodded excitedly.

**He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did**

**have a very large mustache.**

Fred, George, Ron and Harry snorted at the description. "So true!" they all said.

**Mrs. Dursley was thin and blonde and had**

**nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she**

**spent so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on the**

**neighbors. The Dursleys had a small son called Dudley and in their**

**opinion there was no finer boy anywhere.**

"They are off their rocker," said George, snorting

"No finer boy my arse," said Fred. "The boy's a pig!"

"FRED! WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE!" screamed Mrs. Weasley.

**The Dursleys had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and**

**their greatest fear was that somebody would discover it. They didn't**

**think they could bear it if anyone found out about the Potters. **

"What's wrong with the Potters?" asked Sirius.

**Mrs. Potter was Mrs. Dursley's sister, but they hadn't met for several years;**

**in fact, Mrs. Dursley pretended she didn't have a sister,**

"Well that's not nice," said Remus, looking at Lily.

"It's alright, Remus. She's been like that since I got my letter," replied Lily.

**because her sister and her good-for-nothing husband **

"Pfft, good-for-nothing. James is NOT good-for-nothing," said Sirius.

"Yeah, he is good for something," said Lily. James looked at Lily, hopefully. "Getting rejected and persisting on asking you out." Lily smirked at James, as James looked down. Lily leant in and whispered in his ear. "And you looked cute every time you did." James was gobsmacked. His mouth hung open, as everyone looked on in confusion. Remus, with his hypersensitive hearing, had heard, but he didn't say anything. He just sat there with a small smile on his lips.

**were as unDursleyish**

"That's not even a word," said James Sirius.

"Well, thank you, Capitan Obvious," said Lily Luna. The 3rd generation sniggered as James Sirius looked annoyed.

**as it was possible to be. The Dursleys shuddered to think what the neighbors would**

**say if the Potters arrived in the street. The Dursleys knew that the**

**Potters had a small son, too, but they had never even seen him. This boy**

**was another good reason for keeping the Potters away; they didn't want**

**Dudley mixing with a child like that.**

"Like what?" exclaimed Ginny. "Harry is 100 times better than Dursleys kid!"

Everyone stared at Ginny's outburst, as she blushed slightly.

**When Mr. and Mrs. Dursley woke up on the dull, gray Tuesday our story**

**starts, there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that**

**strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the**

**country. Mr. Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for**

**work,**

"Why his most boring tie?" asked Lily Luna

"Because he's a boring person, Lils," replied Albus

**and Mrs. Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming**

**Dudley into his high chair.**

**None of them noticed a large, tawny owl flutter past the window.**

**At half past eight, Mr. Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked Mrs.**

**Dursley on the cheek, and tried to kiss Dudley good-bye but missed,**

**because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing his cereal at the**

**walls. "Little tyke,"**

"I wouldn't call him little," said Ron, laughing.

**chortled Mr. Dursley as he left the house. He got**

**into his car and backed out of number four's drive.**

**It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of**

**something peculiar - a cat reading a map.**

"Minnie!" exclaimed James and Sirius. Everyone chuckled.

**For a second, Mr. Dursley didn't realize what he had seen - then he jerked his head around to look again. There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet**

**Drive, but there wasn't a map in sight. What could he have been thinking**

**of? It must have been a trick of the light. Mr. Dursley blinked and**

**stared at the cat. It stared back. As Mr. Dursley drove around the**

**corner and up the road, he watched the cat in his mirror. It was now**

**reading the sign that said Privet Drive - no, looking at the sign; cats**

**couldn't read maps or signs. **

"Ahh. What muggles will do to convince themselves magic isn't real." said Mr. Weasley.

**Mr. Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind. As he drove toward town he thought of nothing except a large order of drills he was hoping to get that day. But on the edge of town, drills were driven out of his mind by something**

**else. As he sat in the usual morning traffic jam, he couldn't help**

**noticing that there seemed to be a lot of strangely dressed people**

**about. People in cloaks.**

"They were out in wizards clothing?" asked Hugo. "Isn't that kind of stupid?"

"It is, Hugo, but if the day is the day I think it is, then they would be to happy to think about that," replied Rose.

**Mr. Dursley couldn't bear people who dressed in**

**funny clothes - the getups you saw on young people! He supposed this**

**was some stupid new fashion. He drummed his fingers on the steering**

**wheel and his eyes fell on a huddle of these weirdos standing quite**

**close by. They were whispering excitedly together. Mr. Dursley was**

**enraged to see that a couple of them weren't young at all; why, that man**

**had to be older than he was, and wearing an emerald-green cloak! The**

**nerve of him! But then it struck Mr. Dursley that this was probably some**

**silly stunt - these people were obviously collecting for something...**

**yes, that would be it. The traffic moved on and a few minutes later, Mr.**

**Dursley arrived in the Grunnings parking lot, his mind back on drills.**

**Mr. Dursley always sat with his back to the window in his office on the**

**ninth floor. If he hadn't, he might have found it harder to concentrate**

**on drills that morning. He didn't see the owls swooping past in broad**

**daylight, though people down in the street did; they pointed and gazed**

**open- mouthed as owl after owl sped overhead. Most of them had never**

**seen an owl even at night time. Mr. Dursley, however, had a perfectly**

**normal, owl-free morning. He yelled at five different people. He made**

**several important telephone calls and shouted a bit more. **

"That's a normal morning?" asked Louis.

"This guy is crazy," commented Lucy.

**He was in a very good mood until lunchtime, when he thought he'd stretch his legs**

**and walk across the road to buy himself a bun from the bakery. **

"What a healty lunch," commented Fred II, sarcastically

"That is not a healthy lunch!" exclaimed Mrs. Weasley.

**He'd forgotten all about the people in cloaks until he passed a group of**

**them next to the baker's. He eyed them angrily as he passed. He didn't**

**know why, but they made him uneasy. This bunch were whispering**

**excitedly, too, and he couldn't see a single collecting tin. It was on**

**his way back past them, clutching a large doughnut in a bag, that he**

**caught a few words of what they were saying.**

**"The Potters, that's right, that's what I heard yes, their son, Harry"**

**Mr. Dursley stopped dead. Fear flooded him. He looked back at the whisperers as if he wanted to say something to them, but thought better of it.**

**He dashed back across the road, hurried up to his office, snapped at his**

**secretary not to disturb him, seized his telephone, and had almost**

**finished dialing his home number when he changed his mind. He put the**

**receiver back down and stroked his mustache, thinking... **

"Oh no-"started George.

"He's thinking-"exclaimed Fred.

"Everyone run for your lives!" they finished together and all the pranksters in the room cracked up.

**no, he was being stupid. Potter wasn't such an unusual name.**

"It is in the wizarding world," said Albus, looking proud.

"Yeah, we're special!" exclaimed James Sirius.

"James! We are normal people. There is nothing special about us," said Lily Luna.

"We are special, Lily. We are Potters! And we are totally awesome!" said James Sirius. Lily Luna just rolled her eyes at him.

**He was sure there were lots of people called Potter who had a son called Harry. Come to think of it, he wasn't even sure his nephew was called Harry. He'd never even**

**seen the boy. It might have been Harvey. Or Harold.**

"Ewwww. Those are awful names. I think Harry is much better," said Ginny. She and Harry looked into each others eyes for a few seconds, before looking away, blushing.

**There was no point in worrying Mrs. Dursley; she always got so upset at any mention of her sister. He didn't blame her - if he'd had a sister like that... **

"Like what?" asked Remus.

"Yeah! Lily is way better than her sister!" said James.

**but all the same, those people in cloaks...**

**He found it a lot harder to concentrate on drills that afternoon and**

**when he left the building at five o'clock, he was still so worried that**

**he walked straight into someone just outside the door.**

**"Sorry," he grunted, as the tiny old man stumbled and almost fell. It**

**was a few seconds before Mr. Dursley realized that the man was wearing a**

**violet cloak. He didn't seem at all upset at being almost knocked to the**

**ground. On the contrary, his face split into a wide smile and he said in**

**a squeaky voice that made passersby stare, "Don't be sorry, my dear sir,**

**for nothing could upset me today! Rejoice, for You-Know-Who has gone at**

**last! Even Muggles like yourself should be celebrating, this happy,**

**happy day!"**

**And the old man hugged Mr. Dursley around the middle**

"He could fit his arms all the way around?" asked Fred, shocked.

**and walked off. Mr. Dursley stood rooted to the spot. He had been hugged by a complete stranger. He also thought he had been called a Muggle, whatever that**

**was. He was rattled. He hurried to his car and set off for home, hoping**

**he was imagining things, which he had never hoped before, because he**

**didn't approve of imagination.**

**As he pulled into the driveway of number four, the first thing he saw -**

**and it didn't improve his mood - was the tabby cat he'd spotted that**

**morning. It was now sitting on his garden wall. He was sure it was the**

**same one; it had the same markings around its eyes.**

**"Shoo!"**

"That won't work on Minnie," said Sirius, gleefully.

**said Mr. Dursley loudly. The cat didn't move. It just gave him a**

**stern look. Was this normal cat behavior? Mr. Dursley wondered. Trying**

**to pull himself together, he let himself into the house. He was still**

**determined not to mention anything to his wife.**

**Mrs. Dursley had had a nice, normal day. She told him over dinner all**

**about Mrs. Next Door's problems with her daughter and how Dudley had**

**learned a new word ("Won't!").**

"What a charming child," said Lily, sarcastically.

**Mr. Dursley tried to act normally. When Dudley had been put to bed, he went into the living room in time to catch the last report on the evening news:**

**"And finally, bird-watchers everywhere have reported that the nation's**

**owls have been behaving very unusually today. Although owls normally**

**hunt at night and are hardly ever seen in daylight, there have been**

**hundreds of sightings of these birds flying in every direction since**

**sunrise. Experts are unable to explain why the owls have suddenly**

**changed their sleeping pattern." The newscaster allowed himself a grin.**

**"Most mysterious. And now, over to Jim McGuffin with the weather. Going**

**to be any more showers of owls tonight, Jim?"**

**"Well, Ted," said the weatherman, "I don't know about that, but it's not**

**only the owls that have been acting oddly today. Viewers as far apart as**

**Kent, Yorkshire, and Dundee have been phoning in to tell me that instead**

**of the rain I promised yesterday, they've had a downpour of shooting**

**stars! Perhaps people have been celebrating Bonfire Night early - it's**

**not until next week, folks! But I can promise a wet night tonight."**

**Mr. Dursley sat frozen in his armchair. Shooting stars all over Britain?**

**Owls flying by daylight? Mysterious people in cloaks all over the place?**

"People ought to have been more careful, shouldn't they have?" said Victoire. Teddy nodded beside her.

**And a whisper, a whisper about the Potters...**

**Mrs. Dursley came into the living room carrying two cups of tea. It was**

**no good. He'd have to say something to her. He cleared his throat**

**nervously. "Er - Petunia, dear - you haven't heard from your sister**

**lately, have you?"**

**As he had expected, Mrs. Dursley looked shocked and angry. After all,**

**they normally pretended she didn't have a sister.**

**"No," she said sharply. "Why?"**

**"Funny stuff on the news," Mr. Dursley mumbled. "Owls... shooting**

**stars... and there were a lot of funny-looking people in town today..."**

**"So?" snapped Mrs. Dursley.**

**"Well, I just thought... maybe... it was something to do with... you**

**know... her crowd."**

**Mrs. Dursley sipped her tea through pursed lips. Mr. Dursley wondered**

**whether he dared tell her he'd heard the name "Potter." He decided he**

**didn't dare. Instead he said, as casually as he could, "Their son -**

**he'd be about Dudley's age now, wouldn't he?"**

**"I suppose so," said Mrs. Dursley stiffly.**

**"What's his name again? Howard, isn't it?"**

**"Harry. Nasty, common name, if you ask me."**

"I think it's a lovely name. Much much better than Dudley any day," said Lily. James smiled next to her.

**"Oh, yes," said Mr. Dursley, his heart sinking horribly. "Yes, I quite**

**agree."**

**He didn't say another word on the subject as they went upstairs to bed.**

**While Mrs. Dursley was in the bathroom, Mr. Dursley crept to the bedroom**

**window and peered down into the front garden. The cat was still there.**

**It was staring down Privet Drive as though it were waiting for**

**something.**

**Was he imagining things? Could all this have anything to do with the**

**Potters? If it did... if it got out that they were related to a pair of**

**- well, he didn't think he could bear it.**

**The Dursleys got into bed. Mrs. Dursley fell asleep quickly but Mr.**

**Dursley lay awake, turning it all over in his mind. His last, comforting**

**thought before he fell asleep was that even if the Potters were**

**involved, there was no reason for them to come near him and Mrs.**

**Dursley. The Potters knew very well what he and Petunia thought about**

**them and their kind... He couldn't see how he and Petunia could get**

**mixed up in anything that might be going on - he yawned and turned over**

**- it couldn't affect them...**

**How very wrong he was.**

**Mr. Dursley might have been drifting into an uneasy sleep, but the cat**

**on the wall outside was showing no sign of sleepiness. It was sitting as**

**still as a statue, its eyes fixed unblinkingly on the far corner of**

**Privet Drive. It didn't so much as quiver when a car door slammed on the**

**next street, nor when two owls swooped overhead. In fact, it was nearly**

**midnight before the cat moved at all.**

**A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching,**

"Dumbledore!" exclaimed James and Sirius. Lily and Remus just rolled their eyes at their childness.

**appeared so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd just popped out of the**

**ground. The cat's tail twitched and its eyes narrowed.**

**Nothing like this man had ever been seen on Privet Drive. He was tall,**

**thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which**

**were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes,**

**a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled, buckled boots.**

**His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon**

**spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been**

**broken at least twice. This man's name was Albus Dumbledore.**

**Albus Dumbledore didn't seem to realize that he had just arrived in a**

**street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome. He was**

**busy rummaging in his cloak, looking for something. But he did seem to**

**realize he was being watched, because he looked up suddenly at the cat,**

**which was still staring at him from the other end of the street. For**

**some reason, the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him. He chuckled and**

**muttered, "I should have known."**

**He found what he was looking for in his inside pocket. It seemed to be a**

**silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up in the air, and**

**clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop.**

"I want one of them!" exclaimed Ron, Fred, George, James, Sirius, James Sirius and Fred II simultaneously.

**He clicked it again - the next lamp flickered into darkness. Twelve times**

**he clicked the Put-Outer, until the only lights left on the whole street**

**were two tiny pinpricks in the distance, which were the eyes of the cat**

**watching him. If anyone looked out of their window now, even beady-eyed**

**Mrs. Dursley, they wouldn't be able to see anything that was happening**

**down on the pavement. Dumbledore slipped the Put-Outer back inside his**

**cloak and set off down the street toward number four, where he sat down**

**on the wall next to the cat. He didn't look at it, but after a moment he**

**spoke to it.**

**"Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall."**

**He turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone. Instead he was smiling**

**at a rather severe-looking woman who was wearing square glasses exactly**

**the shape of the markings the cat had had around its eyes. She, too, was**

**wearing a cloak, an emerald one. Her black hair was drawn into a tight**

**bun. She looked distinctly ruffled.**

**"How did you know it was me?" she asked.**

**"My dear Professor, I 've never seen a cat sit so stiffly."**

**"You'd be stiff if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day," said**

**Professor McGonagall.**

**"All day? When you could have been celebrating? I must have passed a**

**dozen feasts and parties on my way here."**

**Professor McGonagall sniffed angrily.**

**"Oh yes, everyone's celebrating, all right," she said impatiently.**

**"You'd think they'd be a bit more careful, but no - even the Muggles**

**have noticed something's going on. It was on their news." She jerked her**

**head back at the Dursleys' dark living-room window. "I heard it. Flocks**

**of owls... shooting stars... Well, they're not completely stupid. They**

**were bound to notice something. Shooting stars down in Kent - I'll bet**

**that was Dedalus Diggle. He never had much sense."**

"Ahhh Dedalus," said Mr. Weasley. "He is one crazy wizard."

**"You can't blame them," said Dumbledore gently. "We've had precious**

**little to celebrate for eleven years."**

"Eleven years?" asked Lily astounded. The Marauders and Lily just sat there with shocked looks on their faces.

**"I know that," said Professor McGonagall irritably. "But that's no**

**reason to lose our heads. People are being downright careless, out on**

**the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothes,**

**swapping rumors."**

**She threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore here, as though hoping**

**he was going to tell her something, but he didn't, so she went on. "A**

**fine thing it would be if, on the very day You-Know-Who seems to have**

**disappeared at last, the Muggles found out about us all. I suppose he**

**really has gone, Dumbledore?"**

**"It certainly seems so," said Dumbledore. "We have much to be thankful**

**for. Would you care for a lemon drop?"**

**"A what?"**

**"A lemon drop. They're a kind of Muggle sweet I'm rather fond of"**

**"No, thank you," said Professor McGonagall coldly, as though she didn't**

**think this was the moment for lemon drops. "As I say, even if**

**You-Know-Who has gone -"**

**"My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like yourself can call him**

**by his name? All this 'You- Know-Who' nonsense - for eleven years I**

**have been trying to persuade people to call him by his proper name:**

**Voldemort." **

Everyone but Harry and the 3rd generation shivered at the name.

**Professor McGonagall flinched, but Dumbledore, who was**

**unsticking two lemon drops, seemed not to notice. "It all gets so**

**confusing if we keep saying 'You-Know-Who.' I have never seen any reason**

**to be frightened of saying Voldemort's name.**

**"I know you haven 't, said Professor McGonagall, sounding half**

**exasperated, half admiring. "But you're different. Everyone knows you're**

**the only one You-Know- oh, all right, Voldemort, was frightened of."**

**"You flatter me," said Dumbledore calmly. "Voldemort had powers I will**

**never have."**

**"Only because you're too - well - noble to use them."**

**"It's lucky it's dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey**

**told me she liked my new earmuffs."**

"Ewww. Too much information!" said Charlie, looking slightly disgusted.

**Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore and said, "The owls**

**are nothing next to the rumors that are flying around. You know what**

**everyone's saying? About why he's disappeared? About what finally**

**stopped him?"**

**It seemed that Professor McGonagall had reached the point she was most**

**anxious to discuss, the real reason she had been waiting on a cold, hard**

**wall all day, for neither as a cat nor as a woman had she fixed**

**Dumbledore with such a piercing stare as she did now. It was plain that**

**whatever "everyone" was saying, she was not going to believe it until**

**Dumbledore told her it was true. Dumbledore, however, was choosing**

**another lemon drop and did not answer.**

**"What they're saying," she pressed on, "is that last night Voldemort**

**turned up in Godric's Hollow. He went to find the Potters. The rumor is**

**that Lily and James Potter are - are - that they're - dead. "**

Remus and Sirius gasped as Lily and James looked shell-shocked.

Sirius recovered slowly and repeated over and over, "It's not possible. No. We won't allow it."

"It's ok, James and Lily. We will change this," said Remus. Lily and James just sat there, tears running down Lily's cheeks and James rubbing soothing circles on her back.

**Dumbledore bowed his head. Professor McGonagall gasped.**

**"Lily and James... I can't believe it... I didn't want to believe it...**

**Oh, Albus..."**

**Dumbledore reached out and patted her on the shoulder. "I know... I**

**know..." he said heavily.**

**Professor McGonagall's voice trembled as she went on. "That's not all.**

**They're saying he tried to kill the Potter's son, Harry. But - he**

**couldn't. He couldn't kill that little boy. No one knows why, or how,**

**but they're saying that when he couldn't kill Harry Potter, Voldemort's**

**power somehow broke - and that's why he's gone.**

"What?" asked Remus. "How is that even possible?"

**Dumbledore nodded glumly.**

**"It's - it's true?" faltered Professor McGonagall. "After all he's**

**done... all the people he's killed... he couldn't kill a little boy?**

**It's just astounding... of all the things to stop him... but how in the**

**name of heaven did Harry survive?"**

**"We can only guess," said Dumbledore. "We may never know."**

"Knowing Dumbledore, he probably knew," said Bill.

**Professor McGonagall pulled out a lace handkerchief and dabbed at her**

**eyes beneath her spectacles. Dumbledore gave a great sniff as he took a**

**golden watch from his pocket and examined it. It was a very odd watch.**

**It had twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving**

**around the edge. It must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because**

**he put it back in his pocket and said, "Hagrid's late. I suppose it was**

**he who told you I'd be here, by the way?"**

**"Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "And I don't suppose you're going to**

**tell me why you're here, of all places?"**

**"I've come to bring Harry to his aunt and uncle. They're the only family**

**he has left now."**

"What?" exclaimed Lily, looking at Harry. "He left you with THEM!" She looked furious.

**"You don't mean - you can't mean the people who live here?" cried**

**Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four.**

**"Dumbledore - you can't. I've been watching them all day. You couldn't**

**find two people who are less like us. And they've got this son - I saw**

**him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets.**

**Harry Potter come and live here!"**

**"It's the best place for him," said Dumbledore firmly. "His aunt and**

**uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he's older. I've**

**written them a letter."**

"A LETTER? He left a freaking LETTER?" said Lily.

**"A letter?" repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down on**

**the wall. "Really, Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a**

**letter? These people will never understand him! He'll be famous - a**

**legend - I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter day**

**in the future - there will be books written about Harry - every child**

**in our world will know his name!"**

**"Exactly," said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his**

**half-moon glasses. "It would be enough to turn any boy's head. Famous**

**before he can walk and talk! Famous for something he won't even**

**remember! Can't you see how much better off he'll be, growing up away**

**from all that until he's ready to take it?"**

**Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, changed her mind, swallowed, and**

**then said, "Yes - yes, you're right, of course. But how is the boy**

**getting here, Dumbledore?" She eyed his cloak suddenly as though she**

**thought he might be hiding Harry underneath it.**

"He better not be," said James.

**"Hagrid's bringing him."**

**"You think it - wise - to trust Hagrid with something as important as**

**this?"**

"I trust Hagrid with my life," said Harry.

"**I would trust Hagrid with my life," said Dumbledore.**

Harry blushed as the twins sniggered.

**"I'm not saying his heart isn't in the right place," said Professor**

**McGonagall grudgingly, "but you can't pretend he's not careless. He does**

**tend to - what was that?"**

**A low rumbling sound had broken the silence around them. It grew**

**steadily louder as they looked up and down the street for some sign of a**

**headlight; it swelled to a roar as they both looked up at the sky - and**

**a huge motorcycle fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of**

**them.**

**If the motorcycle was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride**

**it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times**

**as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so wild - long**

**tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands**

**the size of trash can lids, and his feet in their leather boots were**

**like baby dolphins. In his vast, muscular arms he was holding a bundle**

**of blankets.**

**"Hagrid," said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. "At last. And where did**

**you get that motorcycle?"**

**"Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sit," said the giant, climbing**

**carefully off the motorcycle as he spoke. "Young Sirius Black lent it to**

**me. I've got him, sir."**

"AWW YEAH!" exclaimed Sirius. "I have a flying bike!"

**"No problems, were there?"**

**"No, sir - house was almost destroyed, but I got him out all right**

**before the Muggles started swarmin' around. He fell asleep as we was**

**flyin' over Bristol."**

**Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of**

**blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby boy, fast asleep. Under a**

**tuft of jet-black hair over his forehead they could see a curiously**

**shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning.**

"Aww how cute!" exclaimed Ginny and Hermione. Harry blushed.

"Yeah, what happened?" asked the twins. Harry glared at them.

**"Is that where -?" whispered Professor McGonagall.**

**"Yes," said Dumbledore. "He'll have that scar forever."**

**"Couldn't you do something about it, Dumbledore?"**

**"Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars can come in handy. I have one myself**

**above my left knee that is a perfect map of the London Underground. Well**

**- give him here, Hagrid - we'd better get this over with."**

**Dumbledore took Harry in his arms and turned toward the Dursleys' house.**

**"Could I - could I say good-bye to him, sir?" asked Hagrid. He bent his**

**great, shaggy head over Harry and gave him what must have been a very**

**scratchy, whiskery kiss. Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a**

**wounded dog.**

Sirius looked offended.

**"Shhh!" hissed Professor McGonagall, "you'll wake the Muggles!"**

**"S-s-sorry," sobbed Hagrid, taking out a large, spotted handkerchief and**

**burying his face in it. "But I c-c-can't stand it - Lily an' James dead**

**- an' poor little Harry off ter live with Muggles -"**

**"Yes, yes, it's all very sad, but get a grip on yourself, Hagrid, or**

**we'll be found," Professor McGonagall whispered, patting Hagrid gingerly**

**on the arm as Dumbledore stepped over the low garden wall and walked to**

**the front door. He laid Harry gently on the doorstep, took a letter out**

**of his cloak, tucked it inside Harry's blankets, and then came back to**

**the other two. **

"He LEFT him on the DOORSTEP!" said Lily.

**For a full minute the three of them stood and looked at**

**the little bundle; Hagrid's shoulders shook, Professor McGonagall**

**blinked furiously, and the twinkling light that usually shone from**

**Dumbledore's eyes seemed to have gone out.**

**"Well," said Dumbledore finally, "that's that. We've no business staying**

**here. We may as well go and join the celebrations."**

**"Yeah," said Hagrid in a very muffled voice, "I'll be takin' Sirius his**

**bike back. G'night, Professor McGonagall - Professor Dumbledore, sir."**

**Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself**

**onto the motorcycle and kicked the engine into life; with a roar it rose**

**into the air and off into the night.**

**"I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall," said Dumbledore,**

**nodding to her. Professor McGonagall blew her nose in reply.**

**Dumbledore turned and walked back down the street. On the corner he**

**stopped and took out the silver Put-Outer. He clicked it once, and**

**twelve balls of light sped back to their street lamps so that Privet**

**Drive glowed suddenly orange and he could make out a tabby cat slinking**

**around the corner at the other end of the street. He could just see the**

**bundle of blankets on the step of number four.**

**"Good luck, Harry," he murmured. He turned on his heel and with a swish**

**of his cloak, he was gone.**

**A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and**

**tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect**

**astonishing things to happen. Harry Potter rolled over inside his**

**blankets without waking up. One small hand closed on the letter beside**

**him and he slept on, not knowing he was special, not knowing he was**

**famous, not knowing he would be woken in a few hours' time by Mrs.**

**Dursley's scream as she opened the front door to put out the milk**

**bottles, nor that he would spend the next few weeks being prodded and**

**pinched by his cousin Dudley... He couldn't know that at this very**

**moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up**

**their glasses and saying in hushed voices: "To Harry Potter - the boy**

**who lived!"**

Everyone sat in silence for a bit.

"That's the chapter over," said Harry. "Who wants to read next?"

"I will," said Bill.

Harry handed Bill the book and Bill started reading.

* * *

><p><strong>AN<strong>

**Ok, I hope you all like it.**

**Please please please Review review review!**

**Thank you! **


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: I just want to say that I am so so so sorry that it has been this long! I have been sooooo busy, so I have had no time to write lately. I am deeply sorry, but thank you for putting up with me. I hope to update more, but I do not have that much time. I'm a very busy person. Please don't ditch this story, I will do my best to update as much as I can. I promise. Again, I'm so sorry, but here's the update :)**

* * *

><p>"This chapter is called 'The Vanishing Glass'," read Bill.<p>

"I wonder what that means," said Sirius.

"Maybe we'll see some accidental magic," wondered James, while Lily and Remus looked thoughtful. Teddy, James Sirius, Albus, Lily Luna, Rose and Hugo all already knew what would happen, having heard the stories before from their parents, or, in Teddy's case, godparents, but had never really heard the beginning of the story. They were all intent on learning the whole story.

Meanwhile, Harry grew very nervous. He knew what was going to be in this chapter, and did not know how everyone would react to finding out his gift. He dreaded his parents finding out, as being a parselmouth was usually a sign of evil, so he wasn't sure how they would react.

Bill started reading:

**Nearly ten years had passed**

"Wow, you'll be 11 now!" said James.

"No dip, Sherlock," said Sirius.

"Whose Sherlock?" asked all the pureblood wizards, while all the muggleborn and halfbloods laughed.

"Tell you all later," replied Lily.

**since the Dursleys had woken up to find their nephew on the front step,**

"Hahahaha, I would love have seen Petunia's face when she found Harry there," said Lily, laughing at the mental image she had conjured. Harry laughed as well.

**but Privet Drive had hardly changed at all. The sun rose on the same tidy front gardens and lit up the brass number four on the Dursleys' front door; it crept into their living room, which was almost exactly the same as it had been on the night when Mr. Dursley had seen that fateful news report about the owls. Only the photographs on the mantelpiece really showed how much time had passed. Ten years ago, there had been lots of pictures of what looked like a large pink beach ball wearing different-coloured bonnets – **

"Oh how I would love to see one of those pictures!" exclaims Sirius, while the others agreed, all laughing at the image.

"I always thought he looked like a pig in a wig," said Harry, starting another round of laughter.

**but Dudley Dursley was no longer a baby, and now the photographs showed a large **

"I think large is a bit of an understatement," muttered Ron, while the twins nodded in agreement.

**blond boy riding his first bicycle, on a carousel at the fair, playing a computer game with his father, being hugged and kissed by his mother. The room held no sign at all that another boy lived in the house, too.**

"Maybe his amazing godfather saved him from those awful people who don't know how to have fun," Sirius joked, but inwardly hoped it was true, though the look on Harry's face made him think otherwise.

**Yet Harry Potter was still there, **

James, Lily, Sirius and Remus all sighed at the thought, all having hoped that someone had taken him from this awful place.

**asleep at the moment, but not for long. His Aunt Petunia was awake and it was her shrill voice that made the first noise of the day.**

**"Up! Get up! Now!"**

"That's hardly the right way to wake up a child!" exclaimed Mrs. Weasley in outrage, while Lily just looked shocked that Petunia would talk to her son that way.

"Did she do this to you every day?" asked Lily, while James looked concerned.

"Well, most mornings, yes," replied Harry hesitantly. Lily's expression saddened at the fact that she would not be around to bring up her son properly.

**Harry woke with a start. His aunt rapped on the door again.**

**"Up!" she **screechd**. Harry heard her walking toward the kitchen and then the sound of the frying pan being put on the stove. He rolled onto his**

**back and tried to remember the dream he had been having. It had been a**

**good one. There had been a flying motorcycle in it. He had a funny**

**feeling he'd had the same dream before.**

"Wow, you must have a great memory," said Remus.

"He does," replied James Sirius, who had on many occasions wished that his father would forget to tell Ginny about his rule breaking.

**His aunt was back outside the door.**

**"Are you up yet?" she demanded.**

"Really, she should learn how to talk to children," said Mrs. Weasley.

**"Nearly," said Harry.**

**"Well, get a move on, I want you to look after the bacon. And don't you**

**dare let it burn, I want everything perfect on Duddy's birthday."**

"Duddy?" exclaimed Fred and George together, bursting out in laughter at the ridiculous name.

"And I thought Dudley was bad enough," said Ron in between laughter.

**Harry groaned.**

**"What did you say?" his aunt snapped through the door.**

**"Nothing, nothing..."**

**Dudley's birthday - how could he have forgotten? Harry got slowly out**

**of bed and started looking for socks. He found a pair under his bed and,**

**after pulling a spider **

Ron shuddered at the word. "How can you deal with spiders like that?" Ron asked, with a scared expression, while the twins laughed. Harry just shrugged, dreading the next few sentences.

**off one of them, put them on. Harry was used to spiders, because the cupboard under the stairs was full of them, and that was where he slept.**

"WHAT?" screamed Lily and James in horror, while Sirius and Remus looked horror stricken.

"Why did you never tell us, mate?" asked Ron.

Harry just shrunk into the sofa while Ginny held his hand in comfort, although she too was upset that he hadn't told them. He had not wanted any of them to find out.

Mrs. Weasley and Lily were fuming, while James and Mr. Weasley repectively held them, rubbing soothing circles on their back, trying to calm them, though they themselves, were angry at the idea of a child sleeping in a cupboard.

The 3rd generation were also very angry, having never heard this part before. They could not believe the abuse Harry had gone through.

It took 10 minutes to calm the two women down enough for Bill to continue reading.

**When he was dressed he went down the hall into the kitchen. The table**

**was almost hidden beneath all Dudley's birthday presents. It looked as**

**though Dudley had gotten the new computer he wanted, not to mention the**

**second television and the racing bike. Exactly why Dudley wanted a**

**racing bike was a mystery to Harry, as Dudley was very fat and hated**

**exercise - unless of course it involved punching somebody. Dudley's**

**favourite punching bag was Harry,**

"What!" screamed James and Sirius this time, both looking like they wanted to go and find Dudley that second and beat him up. Lily and Mrs. Weasley were fuming again, though this time they were joined by Ginny and Hermione, while their children were angry. Fred and George were huddled together, muttering, obviously plotting against Dudley, but Mrs. Weasley was to angry to reproach them for it.

**but he couldn't often catch him. Harry didn't look it, but he was very fast.**

**Perhaps it had something to do with living in a dark cupboard, but Harry**

**had always been small and skinny for his age. He looked even smaller and skinnier than he really was because all he had to wear were old clothes of Dudley's, and Dudley was about four times bigger than he was. Harry had a thin face, knobbly knees, black hair, and bright green eyes.**

"Nah," said Sirius. "That's exactly like your father at that age. A skinny little git."

"OI!" exclaimed James, looking offended, while everyone laughed at him.

"Apart from the eyes. He has Lily's eyes," said Remus. James smiled at that. He had always loved her eyes.

**He wore round glasses held together with a lot of Scotch tape because of all the times Dudley had punched him on the nose. The only thing Harry liked about his own appearance was a very thin scar on his forehead that was shaped like a bolt of lightning.**

"It is a very interesting scar," commented Remus, looking thoughtful. Victoire giggled at the look, confusing Remus, who gave her a questioning look.

"That's the same expression Teddy gets when he is thinking;" she said. Remus smiled at that, while Teddy blushed at the statement, not realising how alike he was to his father.

**He had had it as long as he could remember, and the first question he could ever remember asking his Aunt Petunia was how he had gotten it.**

**"In the car crash when your parents died,"**

"CAR CRASH? LILY AND JAMES DIED IN A CAR CRASH? NO CAR CRASH COULD KILLTHEM!" screamed an outraged Sirius.

"Calm down, Sirius. It's ok," said James.

"No, it's not! Why wouldn't they tell Harry how his parents really died? That's what I would like to know," said Sirius.

"I really don't know," said Lily. "Maybe they'll explain in the book."

"They bloody better," said Sirius, with a murderous look in his eyes. "Before I go and find out myself."

"Please carry on, Bill," said Remus, as he placed a restraining and calming hand on his shoulder.

**she had said. "And don't ask questions."**

"How are you meant to learn if you can't ask questions?" asked Albus, who had always had a curious mind. The others just shrugged at the question.

Lily's expression saddened at the thought. She had wanted him to be as curious as she was, though she thought he was, but if he couldn't ask questions, then he wouldn't learn. She would have always answered his questions.

**Don't ask questions - that was the first rule for a quiet life with the**

**Dursleys.**

**Uncle Vernon entered the kitchen as Harry was turning over the bacon.**

"They made you cook?" asked Lily. Mrs. Weasley looked disapprovingly at the book.

"You don't make a child cook. That's just insane. He could burn himself!" said Mrs. Weasley.

"I wasn't allowed to cook till I was 14," said Hermione, looking at Harry concerned.

"I've been cooking since I was 9," said Harry, answering their questioning looks. All three of the women looked disgusted at the idea.

**"Comb your hair!" he barked, by way of a morning greeting.**

**About once a week, Uncle Vernon looked over the top of his newspaper and**

**shouted that Harry needed a haircut. Harry must have had more haircuts**

**than the rest of the boys in his class put together, but it made no difference, his hair simply grew that way - all over the place.**

"Ah," said James, smiling. "You've inherited the famous Potter Hair." Lily also smiled at that, having always loved James' hair.

**Harry was frying eggs by the time Dudley arrived in the kitchen with his**

**mother. Dudley looked a lot like Uncle Vernon. He had a large pink face,**

**not much neck, small, watery blue eyes, and thick blond hair that lay**

**smoothly on his thick, fat head. Aunt Petunia often said that Dudley**

**looked like a baby angel - Harry often said that Dudley looked like a**

**pig in a wig.**

"See, I told you so!" said Harry, while everyone laughed.

**Harry put the plates of egg and bacon on the table, which was difficult**

**as there wasn't much room. Dudley, meanwhile, was counting his presents.**

**His face fell.**

**"Thirty-six," he said, looking up at his mother and father. "That's two**

**less than last year."**

"What?" exclaimed Ron, Fred, George, Ginny, Percy, Charlie and Bill. They had never received many presents, but they never complained.

"Thirty-six is hardly something to complain about," said Sirius, looking even more disgusted at the boy then before.

**"Darling, you haven't counted Auntie Marge's present, see, it's here**

**under this big one from Mommy and Daddy."**

**"All right, thirty-seven then," said Dudley, going red in the face.**

**Harry, who could see a huge Dudley tantrum coming on, began wolfing down his bacon as fast as possible in case Dudley turned the table over.**

"You shouldn't eat too quickly. You'll give yourself indigestion," said Mrs. Weasley. All the Weasley and Potter children chuckled at that, all of them having heard this at some point.

**Aunt Petunia obviously scented danger, too, because she said quickly,**

**"And we'll buy you another two presents while we're out today. How's**

**that, popkin? Two more presents. Is that all right'' **

"Don't encourage him to want more!" said Teddy, looking outraged. "That's just ridiculous and bad parenting. They're completely raising him wrong."

**Dudley thought for a moment. It looked like hard work. Finally he said**

**slowly, "So I'll have thirty ... thirty..."**

"He can't even count!" exclaimed Ginny in shock.

**"Thirty-nine, sweetums," said Aunt Petunia.**

**"Oh." Dudley sat down heavily and grabbed the nearest parcel. "All right**

**then."**

**Uncle Vernon chuckled. "Little tyke wants his money's worth, just like**

**his father. 'Atta boy, Dudley!" He ruffled Dudley's hair.**

"They really shouldn't be encouraging him," said Molly II, as the rest nodded they're agreement.

**At that moment the telephone rang and Aunt Petunia went to answer it**

**while Harry and Uncle Vernon watched Dudley unwrap the racing bike, a**

**video camera, a remote control airplane, sixteen new computer games, and**

**a VCR. He was ripping the paper off a gold wristwatch when Aunt Petunia**

**came back from the telephone looking both angry and worried.**

**"Bad news, Vernon," she said. "Mrs. Figg's broken her leg. **

"Her name sounds familiar," said Lily, Remus nodding in agreement, both looking thoughtful.

**She can't take him."**

"He has a name!" shouted Ginny, making them all laugh at her reaction, while she blushed bright red, not having meant to say that out loud.

**She jerked her head in Harry's direction.**

**Dudley's mouth fell open in horror, but Harry's heart gave a leap. Every**

**year on Dudley's birthday, his parents took him and a friend out for the**

**day, to adventure parks, hamburger restaurants, or the movies. Every**

**year, Harry was left behind with Mrs. Figg,**

"That's not very nice," said Hugo.

**a mad old lady who lived two streets away. Harry hated it there. The whole house smelled of cabbage and Mrs. Figg made him look at photographs of all the cats she'd ever owned.**

**"Now what?" said Aunt Petunia, looking furiously at Harry as though he'd**

**planned this. **

"How could he?" asked Lily Luna. "That is just a outrageous notion."

**Harry knew he ought to feel sorry that Mrs. Figg had broken her leg,**

"You really should, dad," said Albus. Harry blushed at being called dad, while Fred and George chuckled at him.

**but it wasn't easy when he reminded himself it would be a whole year before he had to look at Tibbles, Snowy, Mr. Paws, and Tufty again.**

**"We could phone Marge," Uncle Vernon suggested.**

**"Don't be silly, Vernon, she hates the boy."**

**The Dursleys often spoke about Harry like this, as though he wasn't**

**there - or rather, as though he was something very nasty that couldn't**

**understand them, like a slug.**

"They really are rude to you, Uncle Harry," said Roxanne, which made Harry blush again and set the twins off in fits of laughter for a second time. Roxanne's cousin's nodded in agreement.

**"What about what's-her-name, your friend - Yvonne?"**

**"On vacation in Majorca," snapped Aunt Petunia.**

**"You could just leave me here," Harry put in hopefully (he'd be able to**

**watch what he wanted on television for a change and maybe even have a go**

**on Dudley's computer).**

"Of course they won't let you do that. That would be nice," said Rose, rolling her eyes in mock exasperation.

**Aunt Petunia looked as though she'd just swallowed a lemon.**

**"And come back and find the house in ruins?" she snarled.**

**"I won't blow up the house," said Harry, but they weren't listening.**

**"I suppose we could take him to the zoo," **

"That's kind of them," said Fred II.

**said Aunt Petunia slowly, "... and leave him in the car..."**

"Or not..."

**"That car's new, he's not sitting in it alone..."**

"Never mind the bloody car, what about my son?" exclaimed Lily in outrage. James rubbed soothing circles across her back, trying to calm her.

**Dudley began to cry loudly. In fact, he wasn't really crying - it had**

**been years since he'd really cried - but he knew that if he screwed up**

**his face and wailed, his mother would give him anything he wanted.**

**"Dinky Duddydums,**

"D-d-dinky", started Fred.

"D-d-duddydums," finished George, both of them laughing.

"That is worse than all of the others!" they cried. Everyone burst out laughing.

"Your aunt really does know how to make nicknames," says Teddy in between laughs.

**don't cry, Mummy won't let him spoil your special day!" she cried, flinging her arms around him.**

**"I... don't... want... him... t-t-to come!" Dudley yelled between huge,**

**pretend sobs. "He always sp- spoils everything!" He shot Harry a nasty**

**grin through the gap in his mother's arms.**

"What a cry baby," muttered Charlie.

**Just then, the doorbell rang - "Oh, good Lord, they're here!" said Aunt**

**Petunia frantically - and a moment later, Dudley's best friend, Piers**

**Polkiss, walked in with his mother. Piers was a scrawny boy with a face**

**like a rat. He was usually the one who held people's arms behind their**

**backs while Dudley hit them.**

"What a pleasant child," said Sirius dryly.

**Dudley stopped pretending to cry at once.**

"Of course. Wouldn't want to look like a whiner in front of your friends," said Bill, scornfully.

**Half an hour later, Harry, who couldn't believe his luck, was sitting in the back of the Dursleys' car with Piers and Dudley, on the way to the zoo for the first time in his life. His aunt and uncle hadn't been able to think of anything else to do with him, but before they'd left, Uncle Vernon had taken Harry aside.**

**"I'm warning you," he had said, putting his large purple face right up**

**close to Harry's, "I'm warning you now, boy - any funny business,**

**anything at all - and you'll be in that cupboard from now until**

**Christmas."**

"That's child abuse!" screamed Lucy. "They can't do that!"

"Like it would matter to them. They are foul people, who don't deserve to be related to Harry," said Percy, surprising everyone.

**"I'm not going to do anything," said Harry, "honestly.."**

**But Uncle Vernon didn't believe him. No one ever did.**

**The problem was, strange things often happened around Harry and it was**

**just no good telling the Dursleys he didn't make them happen.**

"Accidental magic," said Sirius matter-of-factly.

**Once, Aunt Petunia, tired of Harry coming back from the barbers looking**

**as though he hadn't been at all, had taken a pair of kitchen scissors**

**and cut his hair so short he was almost bald except for his bangs, which**

**she left "to hide that horrible scar." Dudley had laughed himself silly**

**at Harry,**

"That's not nice at all," said Remus.

**who spent a sleepless night imagining school the next day, where he was already laughed at for his baggy clothes and taped glasses. Next morning, however, he had gotten up to find his hair exactly as it had been before Aunt Petunia had sheared it off. **

"Hmmmmm... Very curious.. I've never heard of anything like that happening;" mused Remus.

"Are you part Metamorphmagus?" asked Teddy.

"No," replied Harry.

"Then you must be a strong wizard, Harry," said Remus.

**He had been given a week in his cupboard for this, **

"That is not fair! It's not his fault! Petunia would know it wasn't under his control!" exclaimed Lily, looking mad.

**even though he had tried to explain that he couldn't explain how it had grown back so quickly.**

**Another time, Aunt Petunia had been trying to force him into a revolting**

**old sweater of Dudley's (brown with orange puff balls)**

"That is just disgusting," said Ginny, wrinkling her nose.

**- The harder she tried to pull it over his head, the smaller it seemed to become, **

"Wow, that's good magic," said James, looking proud.

**until finally it might have fitted a hand puppet, but certainly wouldn't fit Harry. Aunt Petunia had decided it must have shrunk in the wash and, to his great relief, Harry wasn't punished.**

"That's lucky," said Hermione.

"It's probably because Vernon wasn't around, so she could be lenient, as she knows it's accidental," said Lily.

**On the other hand, he'd gotten into terrible trouble for being found on**

**the roof of the school kitchens. Dudley's gang had been chasing him as**

**usual when, as much to Harry's surprise as anyone else's, there he was**

**sitting on the chimney. The Dursleys had received a very angry letter**

**from Harry's headmistress telling them Harry had been climbing school**

**buildings. But all he'd tried to do (as he shouted at Uncle Vernon**

**through the locked door of his cupboard) was jump behind the big trash**

**cans outside the kitchen doors. Harry supposed that the wind must have**

**caught him in mid- jump.**

"You disapparated?" asked Sirius. "That is powerful."

"But you can't disapparate that young and without training," said Remus.

"Well, how would you explain it? You can't fly without a broom," said Sirius.

"I don't know. It's a curious thing," said Remus, looking thoughtful.

**But today, nothing was going to go wrong. It was even worth being with**

**Dudley and Piers to be spending the day somewhere that wasn't school,**

**his cupboard, or Mrs. Figg's cabbage-smelling living room.**

**While he drove, Uncle Vernon complained to Aunt Petunia. He liked to**

**complain about things: people at work, Harry, the council, Harry, the**

**bank, and Harry were just a few of his favorite subjects. This morning,**

**it was motorcycles.**

**"... roaring along like maniacs, the young hoodlums," he said, as a**

**motorcycle overtook them.**

"**I had a dream about a motorcycle," said Harry, remembering suddenly. "It was flying."**

"No Harry, don't say that to him!" said Fred.

"He's just gonna get mad at you!" finished George.

**Uncle Vernon nearly crashed into the car in front. He turned right**

**around in his seat and yelled at Harry, his face like a gigantic beet**

**with a mustache: "MOTORCYCLES DON'T FLY!"**

**Dudley and Piers sniggered.**

"**I know they don't," said Harry. "It was only a dream."**

**But he wished he hadn't said anything. If there was one thing the**

**Dursleys hated even more than his asking questions, it was his talking**

**about anything acting in a way it shouldn't,**

"They have no imagination," said James Sirius.

**no matter if it was in a dream or even a cartoon - they seemed to think he might get dangerous ideas.**

"Ohhh, I want to watch some cartoons," said Sirius.

"No," said Lily firmly. "I am not letting you watch cartoons."

**It was a very sunny Saturday and the zoo was crowded with families. The**

**Dursleys bought Dudley and Piers large chocolate ice creams at the**

**entrance and then, because the smiling lady in the van had asked Harry**

**what he wanted before they could hurry him away, they bought him a cheap lemon ice pop.**

"At least you got something," said Dominique.

**It wasn't bad, either, Harry thought, licking it as they watched a gorilla scratching its head who looked remarkably like Dudley, except that it wasn't blond.**

"Hahahahahahahaha, that was a good one, Harry," said Fred and George, laughing.

**Harry had the best morning he'd had in a long time. He was careful to**

**walk a little way apart from the Dursleys so that Dudley and Piers, who**

**were starting to get bored with the animals by lunchtime, wouldn't fall**

**back on their favorite hobby of hitting him. They ate in the zoo**

**restaurant, and when Dudley had a tantrum because his knickerbocker**

**glory didn't have enough ice cream on top, Uncle Vernon bought him**

**another one**

"Brat," muttered Ginny.

"Language, Ginny," reproached Mrs. Weasley, although she did agree.

**and Harry was allowed to finish the first. Harry felt, afterward, that he should have known it was all too good to last.**

"Oh no, that sound's bad," said Lily, looking worried.

**After lunch they went to the reptile house. It was cool and dark in**

**there, with lit windows all along the walls. Behind the glass, all sorts**

**of lizards and snakes were crawling and slithering over bits of wood and**

**stone. Dudley and Piers wanted to see huge, poisonous cobras and thick,**

**man-crushing pythons. Dudley quickly found the largest snake in the**

**place. It could have wrapped its body twice around Uncle Vernon's car**

**and crushed it into a trash can - but at the moment it didn't look in**

**the mood. In fact, it was fast asleep.**

**Dudley stood with his nose pressed against the glass, staring at the**

**glistening brown coils.**

**"Make it move," he whined at his father. Uncle Vernon tapped on the**

**glass, **

"That's so rude," said Louis. "You should be nice to animals."

**but the snake didn't budge.**

**"Do it again," Dudley ordered. Uncle Vernon rapped the glass smartly**

**with his knuckles, but the snake just snoozed on.**

**"This is boring," Dudley moaned. He shuffled away.**

**Harry moved in front of the tank and looked intently at the snake. He**

**wouldn't have been surprised if it had died of boredom itself - no**

**company except stupid people drumming their fingers on the glass trying**

**to disturb it all day long. It was worse than having a cupboard as a**

**bedroom, where the only visitor was Aunt Petunia hammering on the door**

**to wake you up; at least he got to visit the rest of the house.**

**The snake suddenly opened its beady eyes. Slowly, very slowly, it raised**

**its head until its eyes were on a level with Harry's.**

**It winked.**

"What?" asked everyone, except Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George and Ginny. They all sent him a questioning look, but Harry just looked down to his lap.

**Harry stared. Then he looked quickly around to see if anyone was**

**watching. They weren't. He looked back at the snake and winked, too.**

"Why would you do that?" asked Sirius, confused.

**The snake jerked its head toward Uncle Vernon and Dudley, then raised**

**its eyes to the ceiling. It gave Harry a look that said quite plainly:**

**"I get that all the time.**

**"I know," Harry murmured through the glass, though he wasn't sure the**

**snake could hear him. "It must be really annoying."**

**The snake nodded vigorously.**

"Wait! You're talking to a snake, and it can understand you," said James.

"You're a parselmouth!" exclaimed Sirius. James' face filled with horror.

"But-but- how? None of my family are;" said James, confused.

"Not to mention it's the sign of evil wizards," said Sirius.

"Sirius! My son is not evil!" exclaimed Lily.

"But how is he a parseltouge?" asked James. The thought was worrying him.

"I don't know, dad. I really don't," said Harry. Ginny squeezed his hand, knowing this was worrying and upsetting him.

James looked equally worried. He did not want his son to be evil, but why would he be a parselmouth.

"I'm sure it will be explained at some point, James. But I am confident Harry is not evil," said Remus, trying to calm everyone and get reading again.

"Ok, let's continue then," said James, looking slightly better. He gestured for Bill to continue.

**"Where do you come from, anyway?" Harry asked.**

**The snake jabbed its tail at a little sign next to the glass. Harry**

**peered at it.**

**Boa Constrictor, Brazil.**

**"Was it nice there?"**

**The boa constrictor jabbed its tail at the sign again and Harry read on:**

**This specimen was bred in the zoo. "Oh, I see - so you've never been to**

**Brazil?"**

**As the snake shook its head, a deafening shout behind Harry made both of**

**them jump.**

"Way to ruin Harry's moment," said Fred, mock sadness on his face.

**"DUDLEY! MR. DURSLEY! COME AND LOOK AT THIS SNAKE! YOU**

**WON'T BELIEVE**

**WHAT IT'S DOING!"**

**Dudley came waddling toward them as fast as he could.**

**"Out of the way, you," he said, punching Harry in the ribs. Caught by**

**surprise, Harry fell hard on the concrete floor. What came next happened**

**so fast no one saw how it happened - one second, Piers and Dudley were**

**leaning right up close to the glass, the next, they had leapt back with**

**howls of horror.**

**Harry sat up and gasped; the glass front of the boa constrictor's tank**

**had vanished. **

"Wooow. You vanished the glass!" said Remus, astonished.

"That is very advanced for someone who has never learnt magic," said Sirius, equally as shocked.

**The great snake was uncoiling itself rapidly, slithering out onto the floor. People throughout the reptile house screamed and started running for the exits.**

**As the snake slid swiftly past him, Harry could have sworn a low,**

**hissing voice said, "Brazil, here I come... Thanksss, amigo."**

"It talked back this time! You must have noticed something strange by that point, Harry," said Ron, knowing when Harry first found out.

**The keeper of the reptile house was in shock.**

**"But the glass," he kept saying, "where did the glass go?"**

"Hahaha, muggles are alwaysso confused," said George.

**The zoo director himself made Aunt Petunia a cup of strong, sweet tea**

**while he apologized over and over again. Piers and Dudley could only**

**gibber. As far as Harry had seen, the snake hadn't done anything except**

**snap playfully at their heels as it passed, but by the time they were**

**all back in Uncle Vernon's car, Dudley was telling them how it had**

**nearly bitten off his leg, while Piers was swearing it had tried to**

**squeeze him to death.**

"Such drama queens," muttered James Sirius.

**But worst of all, for Harry at least, was Piers calming down enough to say, "Harry was talking to it, weren't you, Harry?"**

"Uhoh, now Harry's gonna get in trouble," said Teddy.

**Uncle Vernon waited until Piers was safely out of the house before**

**starting on Harry. He was so angry he could hardly speak. He managed to**

**say, "Go - cupboard - stay - no meals,"**

"No meals!" exclaimed Mrs. Weasley. "No wonder you were always so thin!"

**before he collapsed into a chair, and Aunt Petunia had to run and get him a large brandy.**

**Harry lay in his dark cupboard much later, wishing he had a watch. He**

**didn't know what time it was and he couldn't be sure the Dursleys were**

**asleep yet. Until they were, he couldn't risk sneaking to the kitchen**

**for some food.**

"That is just awful, that you had to sneak food. How are you meant to live with no food?" said Fred, truly horror stricken.

**He'd lived with the Dursleys almost ten years, ten miserable years, as**

**long as he could remember, ever since he'd been a baby and his parents**

**had died in that car crash. He couldn't remember being in the car when**

**his parents had died. Sometimes, when he strained his memory during long**

**hours in his cupboard, he came up with a strange vision: a blinding**

**flash of green light and a burning pain on his forehead.**

"Wow, you really do have a fantastic memory," said Sirius, although he would have liked it not to have been that memory he remembered.

"Wait. A flash of green light? That's the killing curse. How could you have survived that?"asked Remus.

"The-the k-k-killing c-curse," whimpered Lily, tears silently streaming down her face. James hugged her to his chest while rubbing soothing circles on her back and whispering to her.

**This, he supposed, was the crash, though he couldn't imagine where all the green light came from. He couldn't remember his parents at all. His aunt and uncle never spoke about them, and of course he was forbidden to ask questions. There were no photographs of them in the house. **

**When he had been younger, Harry had dreamed and dreamed of some unknown relation coming to take him away, but it had never happened;**

"I wonder why Moony or I have never been to get him," Sirius pondered.

**The Dursleys were his only family. Yet sometimes he thought (or maybe hoped) that strangers in the street seemed to know him. Very strange strangers they were, too. A tiny man in a violet top hat had bowed to him **

"Ah, Dedalus Diggle. Such a strange and wonders man," said Mr. Weasley.

**once while out shopping with Aunt Petunia and Dudley. After asking Harry**

**furiously if he knew the man, Aunt Petunia had rushed them out of the**

**shop without buying anything. A wild-looking old woman dressed all in**

**green had waved merrily at him once on a bus. A bald man in a very long**

**purple coat had actually shaken his hand in the street the other day and**

**then walked away without a word. The weirdest thing about all these**

**people was the way they seemed to vanish the second Harry tried to get a**

**closer look.**

"Of course. They would have disapparated," said Percy.

**At school, Harry had no one. Everybody knew that Dudley's gang hated**

**that odd Harry Potter in his baggy old clothes and broken glasses, and**

**nobody liked to disagree with Dudley's gang.**

"That's awful! I can't believe that you never had a friend until Ron. You are such a nice guy," said Hermione.

Harry just shrugged. "You don't go up against the main gang in school," he said, simply.

"That's the end of the chapter," said Bill, closing the book and putting it on the table.

"I'll read next," said Hermione, picking up the book and opening it to the third chapter.

* * *

><p><strong>Please Review! Give me anything! Again, I am dreadfully sorry for the delay! I hope you can forgive me! Let me know what you think! Thank you! :)<strong>


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